Lecturer in Human Geography

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science & Engineering)

Biography

Role

I am a lecturer in human geography at Plymouth University. Within my role I am the Stage One Tutor for first year geography students, which includes coordinating the first year induction week. I am module leader for two units, including the core first year Geography Matters and the second year Social and Cultural Geography module. I also contribute to other human geography modules at all undergraduate and postgraduate levels including residential fieldwork courses in the UK and Europe and dissertation and PhD supervision. My research interests are primarily couched within the social and cultural geographies of students and higher education.

Qualifications

Experience:

2013-14: University of Brighton - lecturer

2013-13: University of Portsmouth - lecturer (part-time)

2010-13: University of Portsmouth - PhD researcher

Qualifications:

HEA Fellowship - Plymouth University

PhD in Geography - University of Portsmouth

MA in Social Research Methods - University of Portsmouth

BA (Hons) in Human Geography - University of Portsmouth

Professional membership

Member of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE).

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Fellow of the a Royal Geographical Society (IBG).

Treasurer for the Social and Cultural Geography Research Group (SCGRG) and a member of the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group (GCYFRG), both of which are affiliated to the Royal Geographical Society.

Teaching

Teaching interests

Whilst I am primarily a Social and Cultural Geographer my teaching interests spread into environmental and development geographies as well as urban studies.I am module leader for two undergraduate modules:

GGX1200 - Geography MattersGGH2205 - Social and Cultural GeographyI also contribute to other modules:Undergraduate

Research

Research interests

My research is couched primarily within the geographies of students and higher education. My PhD thesis was entitled ‘Advancing Student Geographies: Habitus, Identities and [Re]sensing place’ and explored how [im]mobile undergraduates establish and negotiate their identities and ‘sense of place’ within their term-time University location, focusing specifically upon the adaptive relationship between habitus and place.

My research interests are not limited to students and I am also broadly concerned with the geographies of place, mobility, identity, youth and the home.

I am currently the Principle Investigator for a project entitled PlymTour, a digital mobile walking tour of Plymouth city centre and funded by Plymouth University's Pedagogic Resesrch and Teaching Innovation fund.

Grants & contracts

Plymouth University: Pedagogic Research and Teaching Innovation Fund Developing and evaluating ‘ Plym -Tour’ a new mobile online educational resource for students on Plymouth’s people and places (£5025) – PI along with Nichola Harmer and Rebecca Vickerstaff (successful)

Holton, M. And Finn, K. (2017). Students in cities – performing everyday mobilities in and around term-time locations. Mobilities.

Holton, M. (2017). Traditional or non-traditional students?: Incorporating UK students' living arrangements into decisions about going to university. Journal of Further and Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2017.1301408.

Holton, M. (2017). “It was amazing to see our projects come to life!” Recognising the affective and cognitive domains in geography fieldwork through tropophilia. The Journal of Geography in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/03098265.2017.1290592

Holton, M. (2015a).Adapting relationships with place: investigating the evolving place attachment and ‘sense of place’ of UK higher education students during a period of intense transition. Geoforum, 59, 21-29.

Holton, M. (2015b). ‘I already know the city, I don't have to explore it’: adjustments to ‘sense of place’ for ‘local’ UK university students. Population, Space and Place. 21(8),820-831.

Personal

Reports & invited lectures

Society for Research into Higher Education (Invited speaker). International Students: Transition, Belonging & Support: A Student Experience Network symposium. Paper title: The Inclusive Campus: Exploring the Social Capital of International Students in UK University Campuses (November 2015).